news corporation owner billionaire rupert murdoch has agreed to give evidence next tuesday to a british parliamentary committee investigating illegal activities at his british newspapers. murdoch and his son james will appear with rebecca brooks, the chief ceo of the british newspaper branch. she is also the former chief editor of "the news of the world," the tabloid which closed in the face of mounting evidence that it and other newspapers gained information by illegal means such as hacked voice mails and buying of policemen. the planned merger of the new york and frankfurt stock exchanges has passed another milestone. >> a large portion of shareholders approved the deal, which creates the world's biggest stock exchange. the approval was one of the last major obstacles to the merger plan. nyse/ueor -- nyse/euronext shareholders already gave the approval last week. authorities 1 5 billion euros in long-term bonds, but only high yields, reflecting concerns over rome's ability to stabilize finances. european shares lost ground for the fourth time in five sessions. the dax finished today l